Stuff They Say Is Easy, But It Ain't

[stagis]

Pretzels... I know, I know...we're back to the bread/pastry complaint, but..sheesh. Turns out that when I'm mad enough, I still have a pretty good pitching arm.....

Chili's easy - if you ain't aiming for a specific result ;)

My problem - spaghetti sauce! How in the hell do you get it thick? I know that sounds stupid, but I"ll have this beautiful pot of bubbling ooze, heavenly scents abounding, red wine flowing - and when I put it on pasta, it all falls thorough... *sigh*

[stagis]

I'll take the 'american as apple pie another step, even if this isn't an american salad)

Caesar dressing (and salmonella be damned):

One tin of anchovies (American tin - what's that? 2 ounces?) well-rinsed and roughly chopped. That means I peel off the lif of the tin and hold it under running water. Anchovies onto the cutting board, literally roughly chopped.....maybe 1/4" long pieces?

Anchovies into the hand-smoosher thing...OK - now I'm losing track...mortar and pestle

1 egg into the mortar and pestle

Lots of pepper into the - you get it...

1/4 cup of oil or so

touch of ground mustard powder...

Way too much garlic - maybe 5-6 cloves if you're having company - more if not.

Um - smoosh it. Pestle it?

rip up the head of romaine lettuce with your hands and put into a large bowl

Pour the dressing over it.

Add way too much parmesan and way too many boxed croutons.

Heaven.

Substitutions? *grin* Don't flame me....I'll eat anything:

prepared mustard

anchovy paste

all kinds of lettuce

add onions

I actually made homemade croutons once...

[LESider]

Whoever said Soup , I'm in agreement. I can cook lots of things but with soup I'm inconsistent.

[sparrowgrass]

Oh, the pie post was lovely. I would just add that the thing that always made me crazy was picking the crust up and getting it into the pan without tearing it or having it fall to pieces.

If you very gently roll it up onto the rolling pin, you can lift it right over the pan and roll it right in.

[Kerouac1964]

Here is a good soft pretzel recipe that I made on the very first try!!

They taste darn close to the commercial ones I get at the mall.

Auntie Anne's Pretzels

----------

Recipe By :www.copykat.com

Categories : Copycat Snacks

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

-------- ------------ --------------------------------

1 1/2 cups warm water

1 1/8 teaspoons yeast

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 1/8 teaspoons salt

1 cup bread flour

3 cups regular flour

2 cups warm water

2 tablespoons baking soda

coarse salt -- to taste

2 -4 tbsp butter -- melted

Sprinkle yeast on lukewarm water in mixing bowl, stir to dissolve.

Add sugar, salt and stir to dissolve; add flour and knead dough until

smooth and elastic. Let rise at least 1/2 hour.

While dough is rising, prepare a baking soda water bath with 2 cups

warm water and 2 tablespoons baking soda. Be certain to stir often.

After dough has risen, pinch off bits of dough and roll into a long

rope (about 1/2 inch or less thick) and shape. Dip pretzel in soda

solution and place on greased baking sheet. Allow pretzels to rise

again. Bake in oven at 450º for about 10 minutes or until golden.

Brush with melted butter and enjoy!

Toppings~~After you brush with butter sprinkle with coarse salt or

cinnamon sugar mixture.

[torakris]

I can not make cream puffs

I can not make cream puffs

I can not make cream puffs

There I said it!

[BigMac]

The first thing I thought of was pie crust.

But then: cooking the absolutely perfect medium-rare steak. Coming in a close second: making anything made from a Chinese cookbook taste remotely Chinese. It always tastes "Americanized" to me.

And, to Steve Klc: there is no such thing as a "bad" creme brulee. It falls into the same category as sex and pizza (i.e. even when it is bad, it is still pretty good).

[TatarsHat]

Great post Kerouac.

We have an Auntie Annie's franchise here in Sarasota Fl. I had never tried one but just learned a chef that I had worked with at a country club here (FL) is now managing it. I stopped by last week to see him because it had been ages. I never saw anyone happier.. Lost all the stress of running a kitchen and just loved dealing with the retail side of it. Anyway I printed off the recipe and am curious to see how it will stack up with the "real thing". Will try one also.. It's a very interesting franchise and Auntie Annie is for real.. I like the fact they throw out any pretzel that is older than 30 minutes!

I'll keep you posted.

[TatarsHat]

Torakris.. Yes you can!!!

Pate a choux, although it sounds scary really isn't. I remember the first time I made it.. Many moons ago I felt the same way. It's a Roux thingy..

I think I botched my first one also, but not so much the dough just an oven in a cabin in Canada that wasn't working properly.

The recipe is pretty standard.. It's important to have everything at room temp. Incorporate the eggs one at a time, like cheescake.

I found pipping them out with a pastry bag gives better uniform shape than a spoon and the silpats are great for that.

Give it another go.. I love them!! and I know you can do it!!!

[torakris]

I have tried 3 times now and to no avail, they just don't like me!

I don't particularly care for them, but they are my husband's favorite.

It has been a couple months now, maybe I will give them a try again.

[Fish]

bread without a machine

Delicious bread can actually be very, very easy. Pick up a copy of Suzanne Dunaway's "No Need to Knead" and try the foccacia. In an hour or so, you'll be so impressed with yourself that you won't think of bread as difficult again

- S

[Jaymes]

Oh, the pie post was lovely.  I would just add that the thing that always made me crazy was picking the crust up and getting it into the pan without tearing it or having it fall to pieces.

If you very gently roll it up onto the rolling pin, you can lift it right over the pan and roll it right in.

'Martha' suggests rolling it out between two sheets of plastic wrap, which makes it very easy to lift and press into the pan.

Haven't tried it yet, though. I always used the 'roll it over the rolling pin and then unroll it into the pan' approach.

[maggiethecat]

Martha is completely right about the two pieces of plastic wrap. Works beautifully. But I have rolled out enough sheets of pastry in my life that I now just pick the sheet up on the pin.

Torokris: Babe! YOU CAN make cream puffs! Would I was there to work with you. They are easy and foolproof, so I am puzzled by maybe !) your recipe 2) your flour or whatever.

You can do this . It is almost a no-brainer. Relax, don't sweat. IT IS EASY.

And try using the dough to make a savoury cheesy gougere. Best cocktail/lunch/starter dish in the world.

Do it today! And if it doesn't work, PM me. Can't bear that a cool person like you is disappointed in her choux results.